The Basics: Video Game Console Accessories

Choosing the best video game console accessories for your game system can be almost as important to your gaming experience as choosing the right games. Video game console accessories can make your game play more enjoyable and more robust as well as improve the performance of your gaming system.

Video game console accessories can be as simple as an additional controller or as complex as adding new features and functionality to your living room or handheld console. Accessories are available from the original manufacturer of your video game console as well as third-party vendors who often offer more variety of accessories at a better price.

Video game console accessories have become a big business. For example, most new living room consoles support up to four controllers, but only one comes with the system when you buy it. So if you want to play games with a group of buddies, you're already in the market for three new accessories.

Console controllers come in wired or wireless flavors, but the newest consoles are geared primarily toward wireless. The Xbox 360 supports wireless controllers out of the box (there are only two USB ports on the front for wired controllers, but support for four wireless ones) and the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii support wireless controllers by default as well. Wireless controllers eat batteries quickly, so there are also video game console accessories that incorporate rechargeable batteries into a wireless controller to save on battery replacement costs. 

In addition to standard gamepads, video game console accessories include controllers specific to certain genres of games such as steering wheels and joysticks for flight simulators. Not as popular for living room consoles as they are for PCs, you can still find a variety of video game console accessory controllers for your living room system.

But video game console accessories have extended beyond just picking up another controller. Most of the latest living room consoles serve as DVD players, letting you watch movies on them. So, you need a decent remote control for this purpose. The Xbox 360 ships with a basic remote, but there are even more robust remote controls out there that let you control not only your console but the rest of your home entertainment center as well. And for the original Xbox and the PS2, you needed to pick up a remote control to use or fully appreciate DVD movie playback.

The new consoles also offer connections to the Internet for online multiplayer gaming. Since these consoles are usually not located in close proximity to your Internet-connected PC, this opens a market for video game console accessories that provide Wi-Fi connectivity for your console. And you can chat with other gamers online, so you can also purchase additional headsets for your video game console - another video game console accessory.

In fact, any area where there's room for improvement on a video game console, you'll usually find an accessory there to fill the gap. For example, some users complained that the Xbox 360 was running hot after extended gaming sessions. Not too long after launch, Nyko came out with their Intercooler 360, an add-on accessory that features additional cooling methods to keep the console from getting too warm.

The Xbox 360 also features removable faceplates so you can personalize the appearance of your system with the video game console accessory of your taste. It's a gimmick that doesn't really add any functionality to your system, but if you're into the aesthetics of your living room setup, it's a novel way to change things up.

Handheld consoles feature even more video game console accessories than their living room counterparts. The current top handheld consoles are Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Nintendo's DS and DS Lite. Each console has a wide variety of first- and third-party accessories available.

One of the more useful handheld video game console accessories is a grip. Handheld consoles have continued to get smaller and smaller (see Nintendo's new DS Lite), and they can be harder to hang onto for gamers with large hands. A grip gives you better control and often incorporates a secondary function such as an additional rechargeable battery.

In fact, expanded battery options and different ways to recharge the power are some of the more common video game console accessories for handheld systems. You can find double-sized batteries available and batteries built into other accessories for most handheld consoles.

And, since handheld consoles are small and rather delicate, it's a good idea to pick up a case when you're video game console accessory shopping. Cases for handheld consoles come in all shapes and sizes, from a basic protective bag to sturdy metal armor (often with a second battery built in, naturally) that keeps your console safe during a fall. The screens on handheld consoles are quite vulnerable to scratches during average use, so screen protectors are another common video game console accessory.

Handheld console portability means that you'll be using these devices on the road. There are plenty of video game console accessories geared toward this end, such as AC adapters for playing and recharging your console in the car, mounting the PSP in a vehicle, and even passing the audio of your handheld console through your car stereo system.

Sony's PSP is more than just a game machine, as it plays back music and movies and also lets you browse the Web via Wi-Fi. This opens up another realm of video game console accessories, from speakers to file transfer packages to stands that hold the PSP at the right angle for watching movies. Some of the speaker setups even include amplifiers and subwoofers so you can make the PSP the center of a mini home theater setup.

The PSP has some of the most unusual video game console accessories you'll see, including serious bling. Fashion designers have created leather and gold cases for this handheld console for a variety of celebrities. These one-of-a-kind accessories aren't available for the general public, but you can still find plenty of ways to spruce up the appearance of your PSP including different skins that cover the shiny black background of the console and keep fingerprints from smearing it up as well as sticker decals that offer a range of decorative options.

There are rumors of more advanced video game console accessories coming out for the PSP, including an add-on that provides global positioning system (GPS) capabilities to the PSP as well as adding a keyboard for faster typing when you're Web browsing.

The Nintendo DS and the new smaller DS Lite have no shortage of unique video game console accessories available for them either. With the dual screens, having some sort of screen protection is essential, but there are lots of other accessory options as well. Unfortunately, some of the most fun accessories, such as a TV tuner that lets you watch television shows on the small screens and a Web browser add-on card, are currently only available in Japan. But these accessories will most likely be trickling down to the U.S. market soon enough.

How to Shop

Shopping for video game console accessories from third-party vendors will usually save you some money over buying direct from the first party console maker. This is definitely the case when it comes to picking up additional controllers, although some third-party controllers may not be as well constructed as first-party game pads.

Third-party vendors also have a wider range of options to accessorize your console. First-party manufacturers often offer only replacement parts and additional controllers. If you want to really diversify your console, see what the third-party vendors like MadCatz, Datel, and Nyko have available. 

Video game console accessories for handheld consoles often come in kits that combine a variety of the add-ons you need in a package that saves you some money. When you first purchase your handheld console, it can be a good way to get the accessories you need in one fell swoop.

Whatever additional functionality or features you're looking to add to your video game console, there's an accessory out there to do it. It may not be as glamorous as the video game market, but the video game console accessory world can be just as important to gamers - and the overall game play experience.